


It's Always Been You

by autumnstories



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-10
Updated: 2017-06-10
Packaged: 2018-11-05 12:32:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11013516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/autumnstories/pseuds/autumnstories
Summary: It's been three years since Emma got married, and Regina has always regretted not telling Emma what she really felt for her, but could she get one last chance to tell her when Emma unexpectedly comes back to Storybrooke from her trip with Hook?





	It's Always Been You

"Emma?"

I was surprised to see Emma back, walking inside of Granny's. It is not like we spent much time together after everything went back to normal once we defeated the Black Fairy, but I have to admit that I had missed her. She married Hook, so she lived for him, her family and Henry mostly. We grew apart a little since then, and I do have to admit I was a key factor in that.

I could not let my feelings get in the way, so I pushed her away a little.

"Hi!" She exclaimed, in her all time untroubled tone, but her smile was sad.

"Why are you two back from your trip so early?" I asked standing up from my seat, looking at her, "where's Hook?" I said not really interested.

"He-uh... Um," she looked at her feet, keeping her smile, but when she looked back at me, her eyes were teary.

"Did something happen to him?"

That was not my first thought, but I couldn't let myself ask if he had hurt her since I supported Emma and her decision to marry Hook because she did look happy with him, but I still got the feeling it was not what I asked. Not many people were at Granny's by that hour, so nobody really paid attention to us; I looked around, and paid for my drinks and food before gesturing to Emma to go outside. Once outside, Emma just walked all the way to her bug.

"Wanna go for a ride?" She asked still not making eye contact. I nodded and opened the door to let her know I agreed to her suggestion since I wasn't so sure if she saw me.

That same moment reminded me of the last time I thought of telling her about my feelings. We had dropped Henry at the bus stop for him to go to school, and once he had left, Emma asked me the same question. In the car, I was feeling a little vulnerable having realized Emma was not going to be with me ever, and that those moments we had shared before were not going to happen again. So what if I just told her? what if I just asked? But I was too late, so I kept quiet.

Emma was too quiet, she started the engine and drove away. For a moment I felt like another road trip was about to happen, but she just drove to hers and Hook's house. She parked the car in front of her house and looked at it, and she started crying.

"Emma, what's wrong?" I asked worried and tried to reach for her hand, but I backed away and instead I just placed my hand on her shoulder.

"It's Hook-he-he," she paused, drying her tears, "I couldn't live with him anymore... things haven't been so great between us lately."

"But you two seemed fine to me."

"Not really..." she spaced out for a little while, "you know, one thing is dating, but when you really get to meet the person you get married to, you-you just realize some things along the way," Emma looked at me and half smiled, "I'm not crying for him."

"Then, why are you crying, Emma?" I asked, and I couldn't stop myself from keeping talking, "this feels a little off, you opening up to me, alone, after all these years--"

"I know, Regina... we haven't been as close lately... I think I might have pushed you out of my life a little... I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry, I pushed you away too," I said and sighed, "so?"

"So," she said in almost like a whisper, "I'm glad I saw you at Granny's. I was looking for you."

It seemed like she was about to explain what happened for her to come back on her own, so I let her talk.

"I knew that Hook and I weren't exactly true love, all that happened to my parents never happened to us, not really. There was love, but not true love... I accepted it because he said I was his happy ending, and I admit it, I fell for him and all. The first two years were great, but one day I took the day off and as I was going through some papers, I found a list of names, and at the top he had written Boy Names. At the moment, I thought it was cute, but days later I realized that, first, he hadn't told me about it, and second, I was not excited about it. I didn't want to have more kids. Hook asked me that night if I wanted to, so I told him that I didn't. He acted so cold for days, but I couldn't give him a positive answer, I didn't want to have a baby with him. So months later, we were planning this trip, and I kept delaying it... Henry is about to leave for college, and I didn't want to go knowing that I would be absent for all the process. I told him about it, and he talked to Henry about it, and you know Henry, he would ask me to go if he could... So Henry told me to go. He said he would have you," she paused.

I knew about the trip, but I was not aware of what was going on between them. I almost asked her to go on for how intrigued I was with her story, but I let her take her time.

"Don't get me wrong," she rushed to say, "I was not jealous of you. I just really wanted to be there, but since he asked me to go, I set the date. Before the trip, the night we had dinner together... Henry, me and you," she smiled, and I did too--but to myself--as I remembered that dinner. That night, like every other day where it was just the three of us, I was the happiest. "That night at Granny's was the happiest I had had in months, and something happened... I realized what I have always really wanted, but I got scared again. I don't know why I just let myself repress the feelings that I have for you and how much I love you I left and only made myself suffer and Hook by lying to myself all this time," she talked so fast that if I hadn't been paying close attention I wouldn't have listen to the words that were now echoing in my head.

I love you

"I loved Hook, I married him, but for all the wrong reasons... I ran away, I just took a flight back as soon as I could... Regina, I love you. I've hated you, I've liked you, I've trusted you, I've saved you, and I've loved you; I've loved you for a very long time. I just--"

"Emma--"

"I know this is--""

"No, no, no. Emma I," I said and reached for her hand, "I pushed you away because I have loved you for a very long time, too."

Emma smiled widely

"I couldn't let myself ruin your happiness, so since I found it hard to forget, to bury my feelings, I found it easier to distance myself from you."

"I wish I could have been brave enough to choose you first," Emma said dropping her smile.

"You loved him too, and you were enchanted by his good looks, I believe? Because there is not much I can think of," we laughed softly, "you can't blame yourself either, Emma. That's what you felt for him, you chose him for whatever reason."

"I thought he was the one, I thought that by been his happy ending I would also have him as my happy ending. I thought he could be my happy beginning, but I guess that's overrated."

"Indeed it is, you can't put your happiness in others. Your happy ending must be within yourself. Now, true love, that does take another person and yours is Henry."

"And you, otherwise, our magic couldn't have destroyed so many unbreakable spells, and defeated so many evils, don't you think?" She asked, squeezing my hand.

"I guess," I nodded, "I love you, Emma," I said and bit my lips.

Emma leaned closer, smiling, "I love you, Gina."

I giggled at the nickname, but I stopped when I felt Emma's lips on mine.

**Author's Note:**

> This seems so silly, and I know there might be other works better than this, but I hope you liked it Swen!


End file.
